Uzbekistan

Russia and the CIS

Equally unclear is the long-term direction of Uzbekistan's relations
with Russia. Having had independence thrust upon them by events in Moscow
in 1991, the new Central Asian states, Uzbekistan among them, pressed to
become "founding members" of the CIS on December 21, 1991. It
was clear that none of the countries in that group could soon disentangle
the complex of economic and military links that connected them with the
Slavic members of the new CIS, and especially with Russia. In Uzbekistan's
case, this limitation was characterized mainly by the significant Russian
population in Uzbekistan (at that time, nearly 2 million people in a
population of 22 million), by certain common interests in the region, and
by the close entanglement of the Uzbek economy with the Russian, with the
former more dependent on the latter.

Since achieving independence, Uzbekistan's foreign policy toward Russia
has fluctuated widely between cooperation and public condemnation of
Russia for exacerbating Uzbekistan's internal problems. Serious irritants
in the relationship have been Russia's demand that Uzbekistan deposit a
large portion of its gold reserves in the Russian Central Bank in order to
remain in the ruble zone (which became a primary rationale for
Uzbekistan's introduction of its own national currency in 1993) and
Russia's strong pressure to provide Russians in Uzbekistan with dual
citizenship. In 1994 and 1995, a trend within Russia toward reasserting
more control over the regions that Russian foreign policy makers
characterize as the "near abroad," boosted by the seeming
dominance of conservative forces in this area in Moscow, has only
compounded Uzbekistan's wariness of relations with Russia.

In its period of post-Soviet transformation, Uzbekistan also has found
it advantageous to preserve existing links with Russia and the other
former Soviet republics. For that pragmatic reason, since the beginning of
1994 Uzbekistan has made particular efforts to improve relations with the
other CIS countries. Between 1993 and early 1996, regional cooperation was
most visible in Tajikistan, where Uzbekistani troops fought alongside
Russian troops, largely because of the two countries' shared emphasis on
Islamic fundamentalism as an ostensible threat to Central Asia and to
Russia's southern border. And 1994 and 1995 saw increased efforts to widen
economic ties with Russia and the other CIS states. Economic and trade
treaties have been signed with Russia, Ukraine, Moldova, Azerbaijan,
Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakstan, and collective security and/or military
agreements have been signed with Russia, Armenia, and other Central Asian
states. Largely because of its important role in Uzbekistan's national
security, Russia has retained the role of preferred partner in nonmilitary
treaties as well (see External Security Conditions, this ch.).